


Bad News

by Darth_Rainbow_Queen_Of_Coconuts



Series: Confused Thoughts and Healing [3]
Category: Avengers : Endgame - Fandom, MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bruce also totally mooned Steve Rogers, Bruce deserves a hug, Bruce deserves all the hugs, Gen, Sam Wilson is Captain America, Steve shall call Peter 'Queens' always and forever, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23167786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Rainbow_Queen_Of_Coconuts/pseuds/Darth_Rainbow_Queen_Of_Coconuts
Summary: Hulk makes an apparition to save Bruce.Steve and Peter watch the news. And they don't like what they see.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Morgan Stark (mentioned), Bruce Banner & Pepper Potts (mentioned), Bruce Banner & Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark (mentioned), Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff (mentioned), Hulk & Bruce Banner, Peter Parker & Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers & Peter Parker
Series: Confused Thoughts and Healing [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580689
Kudos: 9





	Bad News

The scientist woke up screaming, with no sound actually coming out of his mouth, but the dread filling his throat with bile. Sensing the shift, Bruce got out of bed, racing to the elevator across the entrance of his floor's living room and punched in the number to the Hulk's room floor. He knew he could control himself, make it gradual. There were no enemies. Just pain. And Hulk had been born out of pain. Tears blurred his vision as the scientist raced through the corridor, eyes tinted with green as he felt his muscles ripple. He made it inside. Panting, eyes stinging still, the scientist slid to the floor, his back resting against the door. "Hulk protect Bruce. Hulk no run." The green giant spoke, hugging himself. " _Bruce no need running. Bruce need breathing. Bruce need calm down_." He patiently spoke, shifting to lay on his side, hugging himself still as small tears rolled down his cheeks. Hulk didn't sob. Never. Bruce did all the gross sobbing. Hulk just held him until he calmed down enough to return. It was an odd agreement they'd come up to. But both had loved tin man. Tony was a friend. Hulk had a very few friends. So he cherished those. In ways few could perceive. And so, Hulk was laying down, on the cold, hard floor, crying silently like the child Bruce had once been. Sometimes protecting someone didn't mean smash any enemy. It just meant being there for them because they knew, that someone wouldn't ask anybody else. Most people in the tower probably believed Bruce was the well-adjusted one, who'd mourned healthily. Lies. Bruce was hurting, constantly. In ways that were suffocating. Helping others merely allowed him a breather. So he tried to constantly do it. To ensure he wouldn't choke and die on his own pain, on his own guilt.

Someone noticed. Someone with a particularly good ear and unable to sleep these days. A blond who used to care for everyone and carry the weight of the world. He watched, a frown on his features. Curiosity had been replaced with worry. He'd never seen anything like that before. Hulk could cry? And when did Bruce learn such a great amount of control? Sighing, Steve sat on the other side of the door, awaiting for the scientist to return. He was planning to make tea then. He knew Bruce liked tea. Perhaps that way, Steve would be able to convince Bruce to talk. Just a little. The blond heaved a soft sigh and whispered an 'I'm sorry.'

"Whatever for?" A hoarse voice asked, as the doors of the Hulk proof room opened.

Steve stood up. "I..." He sighed. "I should have been there for you. I should have been there for everyone."

Bruce furrowed his brows, crossing his arms over his chest in a feeble attempt to regain some warmth. He was way past being bothered by being naked. But the floors were cold. "I don't think it'd be healthy for anyone, not even you, to be there for everyone." He told the blond, who chuckled softly.

"Isn't it what you've done though? As the new Avengers leader?"

Bruce snorted. "Who told you that nonsense? I developed a co-dependent relationship with all the people in my life, except for Clint and Wanda who barely let anyone else in. I'm nobody's leader, that's bogus. I don't give orders."

Steve inhaled deeply, his eyes anchored in Bruce's gaze still. They hadn't left the other male's face ever since he'd emerged. "Either way doc, I'm glad they had you."

Bruce flinched at the words. "Yeah, well, tell that to the press." He said, before walking past Steve. The blond frowned but let the other man go, knowing this was probably as much of a conversation as Bruce would indulge in right now.

Having no tv in his own quarters, the soldier headed to the Avengers' shared floor. Via the stairs. He found them less suffocating than elevators these days. Helped him think. Steve's brows furrowed when he heard sound coming from the living room. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Peter there. "Hey, Queens." He spoke gently, trying not to scare off the young man.

"Captain." Peter gave a curt nod, before focusing back on the screen. "Hold on." He paused the tv. "Captain?!" He squealed, getting on his feet to get a good look at Steve. "You're... You're here! You're back! That's... Awesome!"

Steve smiled, fond but exhausted. It was probably the most welcoming reaction he'd had to his return. "I've been back for a couple of days. And I've heard that have you. I'm glad you're asking for help Peter. I have no doubt Bruce will help you fix this." Peter gave a nod, his gaze dimming as it grew lost in the distance. "Hey," Steve closed the distance between them, putting a hand on the kid's shoulder. "from a war criminal to another, I swear it gets better." The blond smile at the faint chuckle he got as a reply. "Now, I don't want to interrupt your binge watching, but would it be possible to check the news for a bit? Apparently they said something that particularly upset Bruce."

Peter nodded, frowning a little at the words. He exited Netflix and put on regular tv, searching for a continuous news channel. Steve and him silently stood for a little while, watching the reporter explain why isolationism in an interconnected world no longer was a viable solution for the USA. Then the next subject was announced : _Is Bruce Banner trying too hard to become the next Tony Stark?_ Steve snarled at the title but remained silent as they went through different footage :

_Bruce attending universities STEM events to explain his newly designed grant system crafted with the help of Princess Shuri from Wakanda. Bruce with Pepper and Morgan at the market, the girl holding Bruce's hand while her mother paid for her tomatoes. And Hulk roaring at the end of the Avengers' latest battle to call the team back to him, footage ending with Sam landing a few meters away from the green giant. Finally, Bruce doing press interviews in the name of the Avengers, eventually with Sam, T'Challa or Happy by his side. "For those that don't know, Dr Robert Banner is a failed scientist. While Tony Stark was successfully taking over his father's entreprise, Dr Banner was trying to recreate the Captain America serum, ending up turning himself into a monster. A particularly destructive monster." The journalist spoke, as footage of Hulk destructing Harlem was shown. "Now that the billionaire engineer is dead, and the **real** Captain America retired, Dr Banner has been trying to fill in shoes far too big for himself. And we can only hope he realizes it before a disaster happens. Because no matter how hard he tries to pretend to, Dr Banner is not, and will never be, Tony Stark."_

"How dare they?" Steve asked. "Does the rest of the press truly think the same? Does the public opinion believe that nonsense? Tony was the first person who connected Bruce back to his humanity. How dare they?"

Peter drew in a long breath as he listened to the blond's rant. "I don't want to be that person, Captain. But somebody has to tell you : The press will do anything to make numbers. And people don't want the truth, they want a narrative."

Steve took a step back, brows knitting together. "But Bruce is a good person. He's been trying so hard. How could any of that not matter?"

"It does." Peter argued. "To the people that truly know, it does. But Dr Banner won't be the one who'll go out there and re-establish the truth. No one would believe him anyway."

"Do you think they'd believe me?" Steve asked. "And Sam. And Bucky. And Pepper. Maybe even Clint..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "We owe it to Bruce."

"We do." Peter agreed.

"No, kid." Steve shook his head. "I'm not asking you to go out there when you're a fugitive. You deserve to peacefully rest, Peter."

"I know you wouldn't ask." Peter said. "That's why I'm offering." And Steve just nodded, recognizing that spark of determination he so often sported himself.


End file.
